Jonathan Kraft: Support after Myra Kraft’s death didn’t have ‘anything to do with football’

Patriots president Jonathan Kraft was in Atlanta Thursday representing the franchise as the owners met in an attempt to end the NFL work stoppage. But Kraft took a few moments to address reporters on the recent passing of his mother Myra Kraft at the age of 68 after her battle with cancer.

Myra Kraft may be instantly recognized as the wife of Patriots owner Robert Kraft, but Jonathan stated, as many who knew Myra personally have said before him, that that is not how she will be remembered.

‘It’s difficult for the family,” Kraft told reporters. “But we were so heartened by everybody in New England and around the world. The outpouring of support was so humbling for my family and such a great testament to the legacy my mother left. My mother enjoyed going to football games and became passionate about the Patriots. But what she was most passionate about in life was trying to help touch the lives of others and help people lead better lives and in turn those people helping other people lead better lives, the exponential effect of that was what was very important to her. I think with this huge outpouring of support we saw yesterday, I don’t think that had anything to do with football. I think that had to do with her work in her 68 years on this planet.”

He added that perhaps the Kraft name would not be as big as it is without the work of his mother.

“I think anything my father has achieved in life, I know he would say this is a joint achievement between he and my mother,” Jonathan said. “She played a major role in everything he did and my family did. To the extent we’ve been fortunate to achieve anything, she is a major, if not the major, factor in that.”

To see Kraft make his statements, click here. Funeral services for Myra Kraft will be held Friday at Temple Emmanuel in Newton Centre, Mass. In lieu of flowers, the Kraft family has asked that donations be made in her name at the Myra Kraft Giving Back Scholarship Fund at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston.